Mirrors
by bipolarwriter101
Summary: Have it ever crossed your mind that behind the mirrors, there might actually be a different dimension? Have u ever wondered that the person you're always looking at might actually be the real you and you're just a mere reflection of the other side of the world? It may be crazy to think that way but when you give it a thought, there might actually be a tiny bit of possibility right?
1. Chapter 1

_This story was inspired by a quote I've read about the feasibility of one's reflection being on a different dimension, the mysteriousness of Another (awesome anime), and maybe Mirrors (film) – at some point._

 **Author's Note:**

If you're looking for romance, this is not the story for you. This fic focuses _solely_ on horror, mystery, and friendship.

* * *

 **H** otaru

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 **People always flash their faces in front of mirrors.** Some even spend hours fixing their make-ups, hair, suit and ties or put contact lenses, fake eyelashes, powder, and wax. Some just basically dance while they lip sync a song using a hairbrush as their microphone or walk like a runway model and do poses feeling like they're a pro. Some (especially the narcissists) waste their entire lives adoring their reflections. But with the amount of time that you spend in front of these shiny flat glass objects, have it ever crossed your mind that behind those, there might actually be a different dimension? Have you ever wondered that the person you're always looking at might actually be the real _you_ and you're just a mere reflection of the other side of the world?

For a normal person, my curiosity exceeds that of the average. Queer thoughts usually filled my mind. If someone were to analyze my brain, they would most likely think I'm weird or crazy – not that I mind. I actually might agree with them if ever. I guess this is the consequence of being a genius. I could never look at the world the same way a typical person would. It's amazing and disturbing at the same time.

"She came from London and transferred here due to her father's job." Misaki, my new homeroom teacher, announced to the class. He then looked at me and smiled as he encouraged me to introduce myself.

I didn't know how transfer students normally present their selves here in Japan so I just went with the basics. "I'm Hotaru Imai. Sixteen."

A girl with strawberry-blonde hair immediately raised her hand and Misaki urged her to speak. "Are you really a girl?"

The class snickered while I raised a delicate brow. "Yes."

"So you're a bitch."

The class chortled again. "Alright, alright! That's enough."

"Sensei! Is she rich?" the same girl asked again.

Misaki didn't seem to expect the question and paused for awhile before answering. "I believe so."

"Then she's a stinking spoiled brat."

"You forgot to include bitch." This time, it was the girl beside her who spoke. She has short dark green hair with several distinctive curly, long strands at the front with bangs cut straight across, reaching the top of her eyebrows. Her eyes were that of the same color with her hair.

The two girls laughed as the whole class joined them. Misaki slammed both of his hands on his desk _hard_ and the class stopped but not the two who were still clutching their stomachs, snorting. "I will not tolerate your words Ms. Koizumi."

"Hey, it's not like we're bullying her. We're just having fun talking about her." She defended but the mocking smirk on her lips tells otherwise.

"Detention at the end of the day, Ms. Koizumi. And you too, Ms. Shouda."

"What?! But we didn't even do anything wrong!" The girl with the permed hair exclaimed.

" _I_ will decide whether you did anything wrong. Now shut your mouths if you don't want to extend your detention."

Both girls were glaring at the teacher intensely. If it was only legal to kill, I swear by the looks they're giving, Misaki might have been sprawled on the floor by now covered with his own blood. The teacher didn't seem to mind though. In fact, he was back to his usual semi-cheerful mood. It's as if he wasn't catching the killing intent the girls were giving him.

"Please sit right next to Mikan Sakura; the girl who's busy _sleeping_ there beside the window." Misaki scowled. "I'm giving you special permission to whack her head."

As I walked towards my given seat, I could feel criticizing eyes boring holes on my back. I could even hear some murmurs, calling me horrid words. They didn't even bother to lower their voices. I pass the Koizumi girl and catch her whisper _Bitch_. I pretended that I didn't hear and proceeded to my seat instead.

Though I was given the approval to smack this sleepyhead, I resorted to wake her up the normal way. After all, we haven't even exchanged a single word in the first place so it would be bad manners if I ever did that.

I was about to touch her shoulder and wake her up when she suddenly slapped my hand away. The whole class gasped. Her big amber eyes were staring fiercely at my amethyst ones.

"Uh-oh, she's going to be in big trouble." I heard one said. "Poor girl."

The whole room was suddenly filled with tension. The girl was still staring directly at my eyes. She wasn't even blinking. I didn't back down though. I stared right back with the same intensity. I wasn't even scared. I didn't know how I could be in trouble just by waking up this girl.

"Now, now. Would you quit the staring contest? We still have a long lesson to discuss." Misaki blurted in annoyance.

Mikan Sakura tore her eyes away from me and stared at the window beside her instead; her elbow on her desk and her hand on her chin. The pressure that filled the air seemed to loosen now and the class was back to normal. The complaints and yawns of the students seemed far away to me. I wasn't even paying attention to the discussion, though I already have the gist of the topic.

All I could think was how intriguing my new seatmate was. Her eyes have some mystery I couldn't unfold. Normally, I could predict what people were thinking by seeing their eyes or facial expressions. It's a habit of mine actually. I usually stay in the back line and just observe people. It's fun having the idea what their thoughts are. I could easily see right through them.

This was the first time that I couldn't _see_ and I didn't like the feeling of it.

The bell rang and the whole class exploded into loud screaming of joy. It was lunch time and my classmates excitedly filed out of the room. I started to fix my things and put them in my bag when Koizumi practically banged one hand on my desk while the other was placed on her hips. I looked up at her. She was pretty, that's a fact – with short strawberry-blonde hair that reaches her shoulders, blue eyes, and thick lips with a beauty mark under it. Her personality, on the other hand, was the complete opposite (based on the attitude she had shown me so far).

" _So_ " she drawled. "Wanna grab some pizza with us?"

I raised a skeptical brow. That was the least I expected for her to say.

She raised both of her hands in surrender. "No harm, I promise. Just getting back at you for putting us into detention." She glowered at me.

 _As I thought, this girl and I will never get on good terms._ I was about to say something when Sakura suddenly stood up – her chair made some awful scraping noise. I had the impression that she purposely did that to get our attention. She took her bag and strapped it on her shoulder. "Let's go, Luna."

I thought Koizumi was about to argue but decided to let it slide. She looped her arm on Sakura's and they started to walk towards the door where Shouda and a girl with dark blue hair were waiting. Before they got too far away, I heard Koizumi said something to Sakura. "I wonder how you were able to put up with that stinking bitch." Sakura just shrugged and they all went out of the room, leaving me alone.

I finished fixing my things and grabbed my bag. I walked out of the room and proceeded to the cafeteria. The place was surrounded by enormous polished glass walls. Rectangular tables filled the enormous space while circular light bulbs adorned the ceiling.

The meals were classified into three menus which consisted of assorted foods. There were also desserts and snacks. I ordered meal B – with suimono (soup), sashimi, takimono (grilled dish), and a bowl of rice.

Alice Academy wasn't exactly as prestigious as my school back in London. Actually, it's just an ordinary institute, with ordinary students and teachers. The only reason why I am stuck here was because of my father's line of work.

In my life, everything is ordinary. My family is rich – just like what Misaki had guessed. I could afford anything I wanted – whether they're clothes, shoes, books or food – without even worrying the price. But we're not _that_ wealthy, just the average wealthy.

My looks were plain – black cropped hair and dull amethyst eyes. Because of my short hair, everyone always thought that I was a boy (obviously the reason why Koizumi questioned my gender in class a while ago). Sometimes they even thought that I'm gay. My schoolmates usually made fun of me because of it but I didn't mind them. My time was too precious to waste with immature beings like them.

I go to school and study at home to get good grades. I don't curse. I don't play video games or other computer games most teenagers (especially the boys) are addicted to. I have never tried smoking, drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs. I never go to _wild_ parties or shop in the mall (my father was the one who usually buy me stuffs because I didn't want to use my money. I have this crazy addiction to money.) I always follow what my father tells me. In short, I'm one of those every-parent-would've-wished-for kind of daughter.

I'm an introvert. It's not that I'm shy or not good with interacting with other people. It's just that I didn't find the need to communicate with them. People who I have talked to always thought that I was weird or a psycho. It's not my fault that my brain works different than theirs.

I was walking around the cafeteria looking for an empty table. I spotted one at the side beside the glass walls overlooking the forest. I stepped towards it but an irritating girl blocked my way.

"Where do you think you're going?" Shouda was folding her arms in front of her chest; one brow raised defiantly. "You're not thinking that you could actually sit there."

"That table is off-limits. It's _our_ table." Koizumi butted in.

"Did you buy it?" I asked with an expressionless face.

"No." Shouda looked appalled for a second but then quickly regained her composure. She rose her chin up and continued saying, "But everyone knows it's _our_ place."

"Oh, really? Well, I don't know it and I don't _specifically_ care."

"You're really getting on my nerves, you know that?" Koizumi growled.

"Same here."

"Okay, cut it out guys." The blue haired girl interrupted and faced me. "That table is already occupied by us. Can you just search for another one?" It wasn't a question; it was an order. I didn't want to get into a fight on my first day so I just walked away.

I haven't even gotten that far away from them when I heard a shrilling scream. It cut through the noise of the cafeteria. The place was silent for a moment then almost all of the students there immediately ran towards the direction of the scream. Sakura unintentionally bumped my shoulder as she too ran while her three friends followed. Being the inquisitive person I was, I also went with the other students.

When I was a kid, I always watch horror movies. I especially like the gore ones. I never once cringed when the murderer kills its targets. I even have this feeling of excitement whenever the victim was about to be slaughtered. I exclusively love when blood would spill from their bodies. Don't get me wrong. I'm not crazy. I have perfect control of my mind and am completely aware of it. Maybe I'm just a sadist; but I don't and never will hurt anyone in reality or even take pleasure of murders in the real world.

This thrilling feeling that I am experiencing right now was awfully familiar. The hairs on my skin were standing not because of fear but because of this unexplainable sensation that I was perceiving.

In front of us was a hanged body of a boy – a belt was tied around his neck. Saliva was trickling down from his mouth, his eyes were white, and veins were visible from the side of his head. It was my first time seeing a live scene of a crime. I scanned the people around me. Some were crying, covering their mouths, utterly shocked and speechless, shaking their heads in disbelief, some vomited, and some couldn't even look at the body. I was the only person who was calm. Even the teachers, who have just arrived, were panicking. I also saw Koizumi and Shouda not too far away from me. If not because of the unpleasant situation, I would have laughed my ass off because of their bewildered expressions. It was priceless!

I saw Sakura standing beside them. Her eyes were fixated solely on the hanged body. I noticed that her hands were curled into fists and they were shaking so bad I would've thought she was angry if it wasn't for her placid expression. The blue haired girl tapped her shoulder and whispered something on her ear. She nodded and started to walk away together with the other three while my eyes followed them until they disappeared into the crowd.

I have this weird intuition that Sakura somehow knew who was behind this or at least the cause of it. I didn't know if it was because of my unusual interest in her or I am just imagining things. Either way, I'm going to find out sooner or later.

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 **A SHORT COMMENTARY FROM THE AUTHOR**

Sooooo… was it good? Boring? Please give me your honest opinions on the reviews. I'll update this story every week. Love ya'll :*


	2. Chapter 2

**M** ikan

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 **My life was miserable.** I was the school's freak and the target of the bullies. My uniform was always stained with either spaghetti sauce or orange juice. My locker seemed the reincarnation of a junk shop. Doodles and unpleasant words were all over my desk. They even put gums or glue on my chair. But that was before. Everything changed now – ever since Luna approached me on sixth grade.

Luna Koizumi was a natural. She has the looks, wealth, and the body of a model. She was jolly and wild – literally. Everybody liked her. So it was a big surprise when she talked to me.

I was invited to a night party at Erin Sakimoto's house. I initially didn't want to come but my mother forced me to. She said that I should loosen up a little. (She didn't know that I was being bullied and didn't have friends. I never intended to confess because I knew that she would only be sad. I didn't want her to worry.) And so, I begrudgingly went to the party even though I knew that they only invited me for them to have someone to make fun of.

The moment I entered the humongous house, foods and drinks were immediately thrown at me. It was like they have been preparing for my arrival. Laughter filled the building. I bit my lip and willed myself not to cry. That's when Luna came into the scene.

"No one told me there's a food fight!" she complained as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"We were just giving Sakura a _warm_ welcome." A girl smirked and offered Luna a plate of moist chocolate cake, expecting her to throw it at me also. Luna eyed it for a second before taking it from the girl. "It isn't fun if there's only one target." Everybody gasped as she literally smashed the cake at the girl's face. The poor girl was so shocked she wasn't even able to be angry at the time. Luna grabbed two plates of pasta and threw them at the others. I heard someone screamed _FOOD FIGHT!_ I just watched as they wasted food and the place turned into total chaos. I was about to leave when someone grabbed my wrist. It was Luna and she was holding a bucket of water with ice.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Uh, to the toilet?"

"There's no toilet outside."

"I'm going home."

"What? This early? You'll miss the fun."

" _This_ isn't exactly fun to me."

"Oh, yeah? Then I'll make your night fun." In a matter of seconds, I was soaked in water. My shirt was sticking to my skin. I shivered a little. Luna has just thrown the bucket of cold water at me. I snapped. It was the first time in years that I exploded, maybe because I couldn't take the hectoring anymore. I didn't even care about the consequences. I grabbed a glass of strawberry juice that I found on a nearby table and threw it at her clothes. It reached until her shorts – it made it look like she had a leak, only it was on the front. Despite my fury, I actually find it funny. I covered my mouth with my hand trying hard not to laugh.

"I didn't know that you're a pervert Sakura. Well then, let's make it even." She splashed lemon juice on my pants which made it looked like I peed. It was her turn now to laugh. I glared at her and grabbed any glass of drink I could find and threw them at her while she did the same. We were completely drenched by the time there were no drinks anymore that we could throw at each other. Luna snorted and I followed. I've never felt so happy in my entire pitiable life. The torments were like long distant memories in the past. It was the first time that I had a real friend.

 _A body of a student was found hanging in one of the classrooms of Alice Academy yesterday at 12:16 in the afternoon. After investigating the crime scene, the police announced it to be suicide._

"That's the third time now this year. You sure you're fine?"

I sighed. I didn't really want to talk about it. "Don't be such a worrywart mom."

"I'm just making sure." She displayed her sweet smile and proceeded eating her breakfast while watching the news. "There sure are a lot of suicides on your school lately."

"The teachers kept on torturing us with assignments so I probably know the reason why."

"Good morning Mrs. Sakura!"

"Oh, I forgot to mention that there's a devil walking freely at our school too."

"A hot devil at that." Luna smirked as she entered the kitchen. She grabbed a French toast and ravaged it in her mouth.

"Good morning Luna." My mom greeted back.

"Don't you know how to knock? How'd we know if you're a thief or a–"

"A what? A rapist? I swear, raping you is the last thing I wanted to do." Mom giggled while I rolled my eyes. "Come on. Nonoko might _hang_ us if we're ever late. You know she's never a fan of tardiness." I grabbed her wrist as we both waved goodbye to my mother and went outside, across the lawn and into Luna's red Ford Fusion. I went straight to the passenger seat.

"Fluff puffs?"

"In the back." She started the engine and then drove off.

I drink the cup of coffee Luna bought for us while she put a cigarette in between her lips then lit it with a lighter. I coughed as she puffed out the smoke from her mouth. She rolled down the window and put her hand out which was holding the cigarette.

"Have you ever considered that having black lungs isn't exactly appealing?"

"Oh, please. It's not like they're going to open my chest and see if they're black. Come on, give me a break. It's only a year before I become an adult."

"Yeah, you've said the same thing when you were fifteen."

"You know what? You are such a killjoy." She teased and offered her lit cigarette. "Try it. It's not that bad."

"I value the purity of my lungs, thank you."

Luna laughed and put the stick on her mouth. Luna's a certified bad ass. She had drunk alcohol when she was fourteen and started smoking when she was fifteen. Thankfully, she's not into drugs. She lost her virginity last year at a party. She didn't even know the guy. They were totally drunk to even know what they were doing. It's a good thing that she brought protection. It's even a miracle that it was put into use.

We pulled up to Sumire's house and before Luna could even honk, the front door swung open and Sumire started walking down the walkway, balancing with her three-inch black knee-high boots. She and Luna always like to _alter_ our school's uniform because they deemed them unfashionable and crappy. This is one of the reasons why they were always being scolded by the teachers. One time, Luna went to school wearing a sleeveless white crop top and a _mini-_ miniskirt without the school's jacket while Sumire was wearing the jacket with a small white tube underneath showing her belly button. The skirt that she was wearing was just below her butt. They were extremely reprimanded that day and were put into detention. Ever since then, Nonoko and I always make fun of them because of it.

"What's up?" Sumire said as she slides into the car.

"Nothing much. Just Luna and her black lungs." I said as I passed her a cup of coffee. We all take it the same way: large hazelnut, lots of sugar, extra cream.

"Cut her some slack."

"That's what I said."

I rolled my eyes. There they are again; ganging up on me.

"So, who's your victim now?" Sumire asked Luna as she drinks her coffee.

"Hmm, haven't thought of that yet. How about Nogi?"

I immediately gave her a look and she put her hands up for a second then placed them back on the wheel. "Just kidding. Wouldn't want your boyfriend to be mad at me for hitting on his best friend."

Natsume Hyuuga, the guy every girl would've dreamed of, was my first and current boyfriend. We've been dating for a year now. Here's a secret: Natsume's a stalker of mine. Sumire discovered it when we were in eighth grade. Natsume didn't notice that he dropped his phone and coincidentally, Sumire was the one who picked it up. She found a lot of pictures of me on his gallery – different pictures with different angles and in different places. She didn't return the phone right away though. Instead, she let us see it first. We laughed so hard until we were out of breath. Who would have known that _the_ Natsume Hyuuga – the cool transfer student with exceptional grades and excellent looks and body was actually infatuated with me?

"I really don't know how you were able to put up with a single guy for so long." Luna muttered.

"It's called _love_." Sumire drawled and snickered.

Luna never had a real relationship. Her motto in life was: Cut the stupid strings and just let out the beast. Sumire, on the other hand, had four boyfriends including her current one: Kokoro Yome. Their affair was the exact replica of a cat and dog's. They have been on and off for the past six months. I'm fascinated how they're still together by now.

"That _love_ should be put into action." Luna said as she rocked against her seat.

"Gross." I pulled a disgusted face as the two girls cracked up.

"You'll forever be a virgin if you always think that having sex is disgusting." Sumire said. "It's actually good."

"Can we just focus on not getting late and be fried alive by Nonoko?" The girls snorted again and I allowed myself a small smile.

You might think that my friends are whores. Well, technically they might be but to be honest, they're just insane troublemakers who love to break the rules just for the sake of having fun. That's one of the reasons why I loved them so much. They don't stress about little things like being caught by their parents sneaking into their houses late at night, smoking inside the school, drinking alcohol and wearing _a-little-not-too-appropriate_ clothes. They just live their lives the way they wanted it to be. For me, they're the boldest people I've ever known and I admire their audacity.

We pulled into the parking lot exactly fifteen minutes before the first bell rings. I could already see Nonoko leaning impatiently on her dark blue Tesla Model S (though she owns the car, she was still being taken to school with their family's private driver. She refuses to take driving lessons even though they can afford one. She insists that having a driver is more lady-like than having to drive the car herself.)

Luna parked her car on the allotted space beside Nonoko's which she obviously reserved for us.

"Coffee?" Sumire offered as soon as we got out.

"You're late." Nonoko glared but took the coffee anyway.

"Don't worry sweetie. We still have fifteen minutes to flaunt our pretty faces." Sumire smirked as Nonoko rolled her eyes. The four of us headed together towards our room, already dreading the long hours we have to spend sitting and listening to our boring teachers.

Upon entering the classroom, we were immediately greeted by our classmates. This was the usual morning routine – they greet us, just to feel like we were close while we nod curtly, just so that we wouldn't appear like snobs. I was about to go to my seat when a hand slides into mine. I wasn't surprised though. I was already expecting that he would show up.

I could hear squeals from some girls in our room but I decided to shrug it off. It was always like this anyway.

"Stalker alert." Nonoko muttered and my crazy friends chuckled.

"Hey, what brought you here?" I asked Natsume, though I already knew the reason.

"I missed you." He whispered as he put his arms around my waist and bites my right ear playfully.

"Ew, too much public display of affection." Nonoko said as she pulled an _I-can't-believe-I'm-witnessing-this_ kind of face.

"Pipe down, virgin. It's her time to shine." Luna interrupted as Nonoko scowled at her. "Wanna bet if they'll do it right here and now?" She turned to Sumire and they both snickered. They always do this whenever Natsume and I are busy with _passionate_ stuffs.

"Mr. Anju will miss you too if you don't attend his class right now." I teased him and he smirked. He pulled away and sighed. "Fine. See you at lunch." I smiled as he walked off to his own classroom.

"Will you stop that? It makes my eyes bleed."

"Don't worry, Nonoko. I'll find you a hot guy, I promise."

"That's not what I wanted, Sumire." We all cracked up. Nonoko was the personification of a fine lady. She comes from a _very_ wealthy family. She's smart, pretty and talented, though Luna totally beat her in the physical department. She has high standards for a guy (Sumire once said that she will die a virgin because of her impossible expectations) – the reason why she's still a NBSB. At first, I find it weird that such a classy person like her could hang out with wild devils like Luna and Sumire. But then again, I have never imagined that a nerd like me would be friends with them either. Of course, that's all in the past. Now, I'm one of those popular people who are being admired and looked up to. It's really funny how fate works.

Misaki entered and we all sat at our usual seats. I noticed the new transfer student _slash_ my new seatmate staring at me but I ignored her and focused on what our homeroom teacher was saying.

"I have good news for you guys!" our teacher exclaimed excitedly.

"What? You got Mr. Anju pregnant?" Luna said and the whole class laughed.

"You really sure wanted to be put in detention often Ms. Koizumi."

"You really sure wanted my company often Mr. Misaki." Luna said seductively. I could see Misaki's ears turned red and I stifled a laugh.

Misaki cleared his throat and then continued. "Anyway, the Alice Festival will be starting next week and you have four days to prepare. Here's the catch, there will be special privileges and money as prizes."

The class hooted in excitement. Alice Festival was one of the events most students are waiting for in our academy. It is the one event where we compete as a class by setting different kinds of booths. It is also the event where outsiders are allowed into our premises (Luna said that it is also our chance to see and _hopefully_ date other hot guys. Typical Luna).

"It's customary that the class representative will lead the class but I think a little change will not hurt." Misaki said. "So, who wants to-" He wasn't able to finish because a hand was already raised high up in the air. We were all staring at the weird girl beside me. "Ms. Imai, you want to volunteer?" Imai nodded. "Didn't expect that." This time, Sumire nodded.

"Any others?" Misaki asked the class. "No? Okay, Ms. Imai please come here in front and you can start your discussion about the festival."

Imai stood up and walked towards the teacher's desk in front of the room. "You can choose someone in the class to help you. I'm sure you're not that accustomed to festivals here in Japan." Misaki offered as the girl nodded. She then pointed an index finger directly at me as I raised a brow.

"I want her."

* * *

 **ANOTHER SHORT COMMENTARY FROM THE AUTHOR:**

I decided to take things slowly. I wanted you guys to know the characters before anything _major_ happens. So yeah, next chapter will reveal why this story was entitled Mirrors. Wait for the update next week ;) Oh, and don't forget to drop a review okay? TIA! Love ya'll :*


	3. Chapter 3

**H** otaru

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 **Koizumi literally laughed her ass off.** I thought that she had finally cracked and had gone insane. "Sorry to pull your hopes down but, she's already taken." She was still snorting as she said that.

Misaki was about to interfere but I beat him to it. "I want her to assist me for the school festival. She seems much more reliable than a _certain_ friend of hers."

Before Koizumi could retort, Sakura stood up and walked towards me until we were standing side by side. "After you." She urged. It was the first time she had spoken to me.

I turned towards the class and raised my voice loud enough for all of them to hear. "Before anything else, I would like _all_ of you to cooperate and follow my lead. Since no one complained a while ago when I volunteered, I expect that _none_ of you will object to what I say."

The room was filled with stunned silence. They were obviously not expecting my overflowing confidence (I could act as a tyrant if I wanted to).

"I'll take that as a yes." I said and continued. "Grab a piece of paper and write the booth that you want our class to do. One booth only and make sure that it's executable and can be prepared within a span of four days. After you have written, please give the papers to Sakura. The two of us will tally the top five then the whole class will vote among the five choices. Got any questions?"

Sumire raised her hand. I have a feeling that what she's going to say would be nothing but crap but I still urged her to speak. "Is this tyranny?" The class snickered. Seriously, do they always just go along with those two?

"Sumi, just do what she says." Sakura sighed then the edge of her lips quirked up. "Who knows? The bar club you've been dreaming of might actually be the booth we're going to present."

I gave her a displeased look. There's no way I'm going to approve that kind of booth. She just shrugged while Sumire squealed in excitement. I sighed. As long as it gets everyone to participate, it doesn't really matter.

I allotted fifteen minutes for them to think _thoroughly_ about the booth we're going to exhibit but only five minutes have passed and half of the class has already passed their papers. I could feel a vein popping on my head. I think I would need to think of five decent booths for the choices. There's no way they could have thought of something _proper_ within a short period of time.

Ten minutes have passed and all papers were in, including mine and Sakura's. We both started to sort them. Misaki, who stayed behind, also helped us. In a matter of minutes, we were already done and have classified the top five. Sakura wrote the choices on the board (her handwriting was terrible. I mean, _terrible_ terrible. It's even worse than a three-year-old's and I'm not exaggerating).

"I'm going to say each booth. Just raise your hands if you're in favor of it." I said. "You can only vote _once._ Maid café?"

Sakura counted the raised hands and wrote the number six beside the name of the booth. "Host club?" Eight raised their hands. "Haunted house?" Four – including me. I tried not to pull a disgusted face when I saw the next choice. "Bar club." I said without much enthusiasm. Six raised their hands – four of them were no other than Sakura and her friends. I almost rolled my eyes. I raised an eyebrow when I was down to our last choice. "Mirrors?" Eleven hands were high up in the air and the booth we were going to manifest was immediately decided.

I turned to Sakura. "What's Mirrors?"

She looked at me with an unreadable expression but I noticed that she was clutching the hem of her skirt rather very tightly. "Oh, right. You haven't heard of it." She said. "It's a famous online game here in Japan. There are six tall mirrors encircled around the player. Jumbled phrases are carved at the top of those mirrors. It' a riddle. The goal is to complete the riddle and answer it." She took a deep breath then continued. "Here's the hitch: the disarranged phrases change position every two minutes."

"Meaning the words of each disordered phrase jumble again?" I asked for confirmation and she nodded.

"Your reflections on the mirrors also do not help. They will distract you as much as possible."

"The player's reflections move?"

"Yes." She bit her lip as if she was debating whether to say something or not. "I really don't think this is a good idea."

"Why?"

"It's.. it's going to be complicated. We cannot move a person's reflection."

"We can just use identical masks and costumes. It's not necessary that it should be the player's reflection anyway. After all, they're just distractions."

"How about the mirrors? Where will we get them?"

"It's easy, just let our rich classmates buy them." I said. "Why are you so against this anyway?"

It took a minute before she responded. "Not really."

I stared at her for a while, analyzing her reactions. She noticed me looking and snapped. "What?"

"The prize."

"Huh? Oh, the winner will be granted one wish, depending on its chosen mirror. Once the player won the game, he or she will choose one mirror. Each mirror has a specific category."

"What categories?"

"Material things, edible stuffs, fame, power, money, and contract."

"Contract?"

She nodded a little nervously. "A contract with the devil." Then she laughed without much humor. "It's like the grandest among the prizes. If you happen to be _lucky_ , you can ask the _devil_ anything that you want for a span of six days. Most people say that it's just crap but some still believes it. I guess that's inevitable."

"Do they really give the prize to the winners? I mean, material things are easy but fame and power?"

"I don't know. I haven't won the game. You know Reo Mouri?" I nodded. Reo Mouri's a famous singer. He had only debuted one year ago and now, he had already dominated Hollywood and almost the entire world. Every nook of the universe knows him. "Rumors say that he had played Mirrors before he gained his tremendous fame, though it's just a rumor and there's no confirmation."

I nodded as I sink in all the information I had gathered. I then turned to the class and spoke. "Since we're thirty five all in all, I'm going to divide you into seven groups but the number of members will vary. Six will be assigned on the costumes. They will also be the ones who will play as the player's reflections, eight on the set - including the background music and the phrases of the riddle, two will buy six mirrors, four will think of the riddles – I will be the one to check them, six for the advertisement of our booth, four will stay at the reception, and three will be appointed for the prizes."

I was only answered with silence. "You can be with your friends but make sure not to exceed the number of members I have mentioned. Just give me the list of your group mates later." Everyone screamed in delight and started organizing themselves. The dark blue haired girl whom I saw with Sakura and the other two yesterday, approached the girl beside me. "Miks, come on. The four of us could be on the reception."

"Sakura and I will supervise you all." The girl gave me an irritated look like she was debating whether to spank me or tape my mouth. She sighed and turned to her friend. "Tell us if she's threatening you okay?" She casted a sweet smile to her and sent a cold glare at me then she rejoined with the other two.

I'm beginning to think that these four are inseparable. It's like they wouldn't allow anyone to enter their circle.

 **x x x**

"I won."

I am currently residing in my room – the moonlight was the only one illuminating the dark interior of the area. I have just eaten dinner with my father and taken a quick shower in my bathroom. It's still too early to sleep and since there wasn't any assignment given to us (we have no lesson until next week due to the preparations and the actual festival), I decided to check out the game which – almost – every Japanese is hooked up for.

I was staring dumbly at the screen of my laptop. After half an hour of critical thinking, I managed to arrange the riddle and answer it correctly. Sakura told me that the game wasn't as simple as it sounds. More or less, there were only ten who have won so far ever since the game was released into the public. And I was officially among the winners as of now. I kind of felt proud of myself. I have to admit, I _had_ a hard time fixing the phrases and solving the actual riddle (precisely twenty two minutes for the organization and eight minutes for the figuration of the answer). Normally, my brain would've decoded it for a span of five minutes but _my_ reflections or at least, my avatar's reflections have done their jobs rather spectacularly. At some point, I felt an extreme urge to break the mirrors and strangle my reflections (which, of course, is illogical because first, I cannot go straight through my laptop's screen and second, the mirrors are most likely unbreakable even though I use my avatar). I think getting on the player's nerves was also part of the distractions.

Sometimes, even _I_ am amazed how genius I can be (I'm not boasting. There _are_ times when my brain works unexpected wonders that even I am left speechless. Sometimes – as ridiculous as it seems – I think that Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton somehow managed to possess my mind without me noticing).

It's time for me to choose a mirror for the category of my prize. I suddenly remembered the contract Sakura told me. I was thinking how it will turn out if ever I got that specific division.

 _Well, that would be interesting._ I chuckled inwardly.


	4. Chapter 4

**M** ikan

* * *

 **I was practically gaping at the table on the far side corner of the cafeteria.** I wasn't the only one though. Almost all of the students, who was currently eating or ordering their meals, were also gawking.

The girl didn't seem to notice the weird stares that were being thrown at her or maybe she's just purposely ignoring us.

"Who's that?" Natsume asked as he wrapped his muscular arms around my waist and placed his chin on my right shoulder (he was hugging me from behind).

"Hotaru Imai." Nonoko answered in my stead and looked at the odd girl who had an aura of being lost in her own world. "Where did she even get all of those crabs?"

"She's rich, right? What a glutton." Luna rolled her eyes.

"Hotaru Imai?" Natsume raised a brow and glanced at the guy who was standing beside him. "Isn't that the girl you're –" Before he could even finish what he was about to say, Ruka immediately grabbed his wrist and practically dragged him away to who-knows-here. Natsume protested, of course (he was only starting to _bond_ with me).

"What's with Ruka?" Nonoko whispered to me but I just shrugged as I too have no idea what's wrong with him.

"She even has a crab ice cream." Luna said as she raised a delicate brow. "Is that even possible?"

"Well, if you think about your ever famous ice cream with a condom on top, anything's possible." Sumire replied as we all cracked up. We proceeded in ordering our lunch and were on our way to our usual table when Imai called out to me unexpectedly.

"I'll catch up with you guys." I said to my friends and handed my tray to Sumire and they left. I stood in front of the glutton, who was still busy stuffing her mouth with all the crabs laid on the table (the crabs were cooked differently. Some were intently made for lunch and some were for dessert. The rice had even sliced crabs mixed with it). "Have it ever crossed your mind that you'll have a stomach cramps with all this?" I gestured at all the crab dishes. She glanced up at me – only seeming to notice my presence just now.

"I never had stomach cramps." She replied and continued eating.

"Well then, you'll get stomach crabs."

She looked up at me and said, "Nice try."

"Whatever. Why did you call me?"

"Have you ever played the game before?"

"What game?" I asked though I already knew what she was pertaining to. She rolled her eyes – she also knew that I was only feigning innocence, but still answered. "Mirrors."

"Nope."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Do you happen to know anyone who's won the game and had the contract as a prize?"

I raised a skeptical brow at her question. "No, why?"

"Do you think it's possible? The devil, I mean." She asked again, ignoring my question.

"Personally, I don't." I answered honestly. "Why'd you even ask?"

"Nothing." We stayed quiet for a few minutes until she spoke. "You should go back now. The looks your friends are giving are spoiling my meal." Then she proceeded back to her eating while I started to head towards our table.

"Did she ask you out?"

"Oh-my-gosh! She threatened you to go out with her?"

I rolled my eyes at them. "No and no."

"Oh, so it's _that_. Honestly though, I thought that you'd do it with Natsume or at least, a guy. Not a girl pretending to be a guy or is it a guy pretending to be a girl?" Luna snickered.

"Couldn't you get any more perverted?" I said exasperatedly then shook my head – Luna and her dirty thoughts. "We just talked about the game, you know, Mirrors."

"What about it?" Nonoko asked.

"Oh, it's nothing really. She just asked me if I knew someone who won the game and had the contract prize thing."

"I bet she's aiming to get that." Sumire interrupted. I just shrugged and proceeded to eat my lunch.

"No."

I rolled my eyes at the crab-glutton sitting beside me. We were at the teacher's desk in our classroom checking the riddles our classmates searched or made. Nonoko, together with Yura Otonashi – who was also stinking rich – were the two who were assigned to buy the mirrors. They had already ordered twelve tall ones (Imai decided to double the number because each player will be given half an hour to arrange and solve the riddle, which will take time in case there will be a lot who wants to play).

"You've been rejecting them for the past ten minutes!" I complained, not even making an effort to hide my irritation. I just wanted to get this over with – fast. There are still a lot to do. I mentally cursed her for choosing me as her assistant and mentally smacked myself for not even refusing – not that I think she will accept no as an answer.

"They're too easy to solve."

"They're easy for _you_." I snapped. I just learned recently – due to the gossip girls, who never stopped prying into other people's lives – that Imai was an out-of-this-world species. According to the rumors circulating the school, she had competed at least seven international quiz bees and won _all_ of them spectacularly. She's a beast who took form of a body of a high school girl or maybe she just possessed one.

Another classmate of ours approached us and presented a sheet of paper, containing another _yet-to-be-rejected-riddle_. Before Imai could take hold of the note, I immediately snatched it from the hands of Yoshioka Futaba, who was a bit surprised by my sudden action.

"This will do." I said and placed the paper on the desk. Futaba happily skipped back to her group.

"You know that _I_ will have the final say, right?" Imai was obviously annoyed and I smirked inwardly – feeling proud of myself that I got on her nerves. At least, I'm not the only one who's distressed right now.

"Well, _you_ picked me as your assistant so _I_ also have the right to approve." The corner of my lips curled upward triumphantly. Imai rolled her eyes and I chuckled internally.

"Okay, then. If you insist, I'll leave _all_ the checking to you." The triumphant grin that I was sporting only seconds ago was immediately replaced with a scowl. Imai laughed silently – taking pleasure of having me cornered. I was about to argue when a rather haggard Nobara Ibaragi came crashing into the room. She was trying to say something but ended up panting heavily instead. A girl offered her a bottle of water which she gratefully took and emptied it within a heartbeat. She seemed to calm down now as she cleared her throat, though she was still breathless.

"Trouble. At the northern forest." She heaved. "Yuu lying on the ground. Lots of blood. Nonoko, Luna–"

The moment she mentioned my friends' names, I immediately ran out of the room and without a second thought, sprinted towards the grounds. My heart was hammering uncontrollably against my chest. If it's because I was running extremely fast or worried like hell, I didn't know. All I could think of right now was the bodies of my friends sprawled on the ground covered in blood.

 _No. It can't possibly be._ I thought and immediately shook the thought away. I should focus on making sure that they're okay.

By the time I got to the grounds, there were already a number of students gathered. The school's doctor, together with some nurses (who were carrying two stretchers), were running frantically towards the crowd. I caught a glimpse of Imai running with them. Despite the situation, I had a weird thought that the doctor and Imai somehow looked similar. I shook my head. _This isn't the time to be thinking about that._

I dashed towards the thickening group of people. The doctor and the nurses were shouting to give way to them. I pushed through the mass of students until I was finally in front. The sight wasn't pleasing. I almost vomited. Yuu Tobita, our class representative, was lying on the dirty ground – his face facing the sky. His eyes, mouth and arms were wide open. His stomach was split open showing his intestines. Two triangles – one was inverted – were fitted inside a large circle and Tobita's body was on the center. The symbol was painted with his blood. I knew the drawing, of course. Almost all the people knew. It wasn't an unfamiliar symbol anyway. It could be seen in horror movies, tv shows, or occult stuffs.

" _Do you think it's possible? The devil, I mean."_

I didn't know why Imai's question from before suddenly came into my mind.

I noticed Imai getting into the circle but she was held back by a teacher. Her face had its usual nonchalance. Suddenly, I felt both anger and admiration boiled inside me. I was angry at the fact that she didn't seem affected at all. At the same time, I admire her calmness or maybe her ability to collect herself in any given situation.

Luna and Nonoko were placed into the stretchers and were being dragged to the clinic. I followed them – half worried and half wanting to leave the horrible scene.

It's been almost an hour ever since my friends were put in the clinic. Thankfully, there weren't any major injuries except for a few bruises and scrapes on the knees and elbows which they probably got from falling on the rocky ground. The school's doctor, who was actually Imai's cousin, informed us that they might be suffering mental fatigue because they haven't woken up yet. The teachers already called their parents and were currently inside the clinic. Sumire and I, on the other hand, decided to wait outside until our friends finally gained consciousness.

"You think they're going to be okay?" Sumire spoke for the first time since she found out what had happened. Her eyes were puffy because of crying. It was the first time I saw her cry. Sumire's a tough woman (yes, I actually consider her as a woman). Among us four – as unconvincing as it seems – she's the most mature (although Luna's the oldest and the epitome of a spoiled brat). We are usually the ones who ran to Sumire and bawl our hearts out whenever we have problems.

"Nonoko's fine but Luna isn't exactly _okay_ from the start." She chuckled and I smiled. I feel relieved that I got to get her laugh again. Seeing her cry almost broke my heart. I could literally feel her misery. I never want to see her cry again.

"Tobita, that nerd."

"He didn't deserve it." I said as she nodded. Tobita was kind and helpful to the point that it's infuriating. He was like a living saint – seriously. His actions make me and the others look like we're the most evil beings that walked on earth. He always let others – the ones who's always bullying him – copy his assignments. It would've been nice if I smacked him on the head. I didn't know if he's afraid of them or just plain stupid. I suddenly felt sympathy for his family. Losing a family member was terrible; having his intestines pried out was horrendous.

I felt my phone vibrate inside my jacket pocket. I fished it out only to receive a message from an unregistered number.

 _Gates 3. DON'T BE LATE!_

 _\- Imai_

There was only one thought that crossed my mind that moment: How the hell did she get my number?!


	5. Chapter 5

**H** otaru

* * *

 **My head turned towards the serene clear sky as I leaned against our family's Mazda6** (it was actually my father's birthday present to me when I turned sixteen but I still don't claim it as my own because: 1. I'm too modest; 2. I still have yet to learn how to drive _decently_ – as much of a genius I am, I still have some things I can't quite grasp like, for example, hitting the brakes a little _gently_ ; 3. It's color pink, the least color I'm in favor of – I'll have it painted black as soon as possible. I don't care what my father will say).

I was at the side of the academy's gates, waiting for a certain tardy idiot whom I just warned that wasting my time will earn her a free ticket to hell. My usually calm disposition was reaching its toll. Just as I was about to fish out my phone and call her, I heard footsteps nearing me. I then looked at the girl with an impassive expression.

"Six times two?" I asked as she raised her eyebrow – obviously not expecting a math lesson.

"Twelve."

"Exactly. You're twelve minutes late." I scolded her as she only rolled her eyes, which I was beginning to think that it's an awful habit of hers. I inclined my head towards the car, prompting her to get in. Amusement was painted all over her face and I tried hard not to give in to temptation to smack her in the head. "Don't ask." I growled then got inside as she followed suit. I nodded at our driver. Taking my hint, he started the engine then drove off.

"So." Sakura started as I glanced at her on the corner of my eyes (we were both sitting at the back seat). "There are three things I want to ask you so I'll just start with the most disturbing one. WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU GET MY NUMBER?"

I immediately covered my ears to protect my sense of hearing. "You don't have to raise your voice just to ask a stupid question!" I shouted in anger then sighed. "I got it from Nogi."

"Ruka?" she asked skeptically, most likely not believing what I said. "What? How? Why?"

"Are those your three questions? Because I will not entertain any more that exceeds that number." I sneered as she scowled.

"Whatever. I'll just ask Ruka tomorrow." Arms folded in front of her chest, she turned her head and faced me. "Where are we going?"

"To our house."

"Why?"

"Because we're having a slumber party." I answered sarcastically and grinned inwardly. I could feel that she was trying to prevent herself from running her hand on her face in extreme disbelief – or maybe frustration. "About what happened earlier–"

"Look. If you think you can pry details out of me, you're only wasting your time." She said. "Nonoko and Luna were sent to the hospital an hour ago and they haven't even woken up yet."

"I don't need information. I probably know more than you do."

"Then why–?"

"I need your help. You're possibly the only person besides me who has an insight of what really is happening."

"You're not actually saying that–" She didn't finish what she was going to say because of total shock. I only answered her with silence. After a good ten minutes or so, we stopped in front of familiar tall silver metal gates. They automatically opened, giving way for us. Our driver pulled over as the wheels of the car halted in front of an enormous red-peached colored building. We move out of the vehicle and into our house.

"I never expected your house to be _this_ big."

"Stop gawking or else your dirty saliva will contaminate the floor." She glowered at me. I led her straight to my room which was located on the second floor. I switched the lights on, illuminating the entire space. I placed my bag on the couch at the corner while Sakura placed hers beside mine.

"Crab."

"Huh? No, thanks. I don't like crabs."

"I'm not offering you." I walked across the room to get my laptop and went back to sit on the couch next to Sakura. "That's my prize. I got the food category so I asked for crabs."

"You played the game and won?" she asked in disbelief and amazement.

I nodded. "The prize will last for six days. I learned that once you have won, you cannot play the game again. I don't know how they make sure that you wouldn't be able to play it but it's the least of my concerns now." I took a deep breath and exhaled rather heavily before continuing. "The possibility that a devil _does_ exist is seven percent."

"How did you know?"

I opened my laptop and showed her a picture of a body laid on a stretcher – her entire skin was covered in blisters. "May 27, the day when the first suicide case in school happened." I said. "Rize Kirishima's body was found at exactly 3:24 pm inside our school's lab on the third floor. Two bottles filled with arsenic and cyanide was found broken on the floor. The door was locked and the security cameras were broken so there was no way of knowing what really happened. The authorities decided it to be suicide because of the given information that she was being molested by her own father."

"Wait, how did you know all of those? How did you even get the pictures?" Sakura asked suspiciously as I turned and stared directly at her eyes. She squirmed a little – possibly not that all comfortable with the intense gaze I was giving her. "W-What is it? You're creeping me out."

"Can I trust you?" I asked with utmost seriousness, still staring at her fiercely.

"Why the sudden question?" she said as she looked away.

"Can I trust you?" I repeated – now more forcefully.

She exhaled heavily and brought her eyes up to level mine. "Trust is very– ugh, never mind. I guess you can trust me a little."

I nodded and continued. "As you all know, the reason why I came here in Japan was because of my father's work."

"Uh-huh."

"He's a detective." Sakura was about to shout something (probably going to say _That's so cool!_ or _You're kidding right?_ ) but I gave her a look, indicating her to shut up. "His agency assigned his group to catch the people behind the game you call Mirrors."

"Huh? Haven't you–" she paused as her realization dawned on her face. "Wait. Up until know, you knew all along?" I merely nodded as she balled her hands into fists. "So you were just toying with me."

"It's part of the act. I was hoping to find some information from you. Turned out that I asked the wrong person."

"I think you're the one I couldn't trust." She glared.

"It's your choice." I shrugged. She heaved a sigh as she spoke again. "Then why are you the one doing the investigation?"

"Japan is a very broad country, Sakura. My father and his group could cut down the possible places where the culprits are residing but still, their number is limited. Besides, I had a different task." I said. "I had to confirm the validity of the contract and if it's proven to be feasible, find the contractor. And based on the number of _suspicious_ deaths, Alice Academy had the highest possibility. Although I _do_ have a cousin inside the school, we didn't want to drag him on the case."

"And you didn't even think twice when you dragged me into _this_?"

"I needed your help." I simply said and she rolled her eyes.

"Why is your father's group after the creators of the game anyway?"

"They've caused more havoc than you possibly know."

We were left in silence for a few minutes before Sakura finally broke the silence. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"I already told you right? You're probably the only person aside from me who's aware of the actual situation at hand."

"Even so, why me of all people?" she shook her head in disbelief and wonder. "For all you know, I might be the one contracted."

"Yes, I thought of that too." I said as I placed an index finger under my chin and inclined my head a little upward for a better effect. She scowled at me and I chuckled – which is rare (I almost thought that I've gone crazy). "Your eyes. They hold the same mysteriousness as mine."

"You're weird."

"I get that a lot." I said impassively. "Let's just say that it's instincts."

I pressed a button on the keyboard of my laptop and a picture of a girl flashed on the screen. She was sprawled on the tiled floor of our school's shower room located at the gym – her throat was slit as blood gushed out. Sakura immediately put her hand on her mouth, struggling not to gag. Normally, I would've admired the photo if it wasn't for the circumstances we're under.

"June 2. Second case of suicide: Misaki Harada – a senior at the time." I continued where we left. "Her throat was cut by a shard of glass which was chapped from the mirror in the shower room. She was the only one there at that time and there were no cameras since it's a room for women – you know, privacy and all. Her friends stated that she had just broken up with her longtime boyfriend which was the only logical reason for the crime."

I pushed another button and a new photo showed. "You probably already saw this since it only happened yesterday." I said while she nodded – her hand still covering her mouth. "Tsubasa Andou: another senior, ex-boyfriend of Misaki Harada, hanged himself inside his classroom during lunchtime on June 8." I tapped on my laptop and a video appeared. I adjusted the screen in order for Sakura to have a good view. "This is the capture of a hidden camera inside the room. I hacked the school's security system." I said as she shot me a confused look. "Piece of cake." I immediately cut her off when she was about to open her mouth. She frowned and just focused her attention back to the screen.

Tsubasa Andou entered the room and walked towards the back. He stopped in front of a desk (most likely his) and picked up a book placed on the table – _He probably forgot it_ , Sakura stated as I hissed at her for stating the obvious and for interrupting. Tsubasa was on his way out when he suddenly turned his body and faced the window on the side of the room. For a minute or so, he was only standing there with wide eyes, gawking at the glass surface in front of him. I couldn't see what he was staring at because of the angle of the camera. I mentally tortured whoever put the camera in the room; for the place where he had set the device wasn't even covering the whole area (a familiar feeling of insane bloodlust that I always feel towards stupid people was overwhelming me). He then took off his belt, dragged a chair with him, and went towards the board. He climbed on the chair, wrapped the belt around his neck tightly, and hanged the buckle on a hook far up the wall (the hook was usually where a crucifix was placed. Each room of the entire school was supposed to have one because Alice Academy is a catholic school). The moment he kicked off the chair, it was like he had only realized what he was doing. I neared my face towards the screen, scrutinizing his expression. He was struggling to loosen the belt around his neck. His face was turning into a sickly purple shade. He was trying to shout but only weird gurgles came out. Before his life had come to an end, he opened his mouth one last time though his voice was still inaudible.

"It-wa-sn't-me." I pronounced each syllable as I read his lips then Tsubasa stopped moving and after a few minutes, a girl entered the room and screamed at the top of her lungs as the ghastly sight in front of her unraveled. I closed my laptop and glanced at the frozen figure beside me. Her body was so stiff – she had her back straight while her fists were curled on her lap. She wasn't displaying any emotion as of the moment.

"You okay?" I asked, a little bit concerned.

"I knew Tsubasa." She suddenly blurted and I couldn't help but feel surprised. "He was on the soccer team with Natsume, my boyfriend. We're not that close but we do small talks from time to time. As far as I know, he wasn't the type to do such an act just because of a break up."

I intertwined my fingers, placed them on my lap, and threw my head upward as I closed my eyes (this is what I always do when there's a problem I can't solve or when there's something bothering me. It helps me think clearly). "You're right. The fact that he was calm seconds ago and struggled afterwards was _indeed_ suspicious." His actions were contradicting and I bet that whatever he saw on the window was the cause of it. Even the circumstance that he left his book was dubious. It's too much of a coincidence. I had a feeling that the moment he had entered the room, he was already branded as dead.

"I think that's enough for today." I stood up and Sakura followed. "I'll have our driver take you home."

She merely nodded as we stepped out of my room and walked downstairs. "All the things that I've said–"

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed." She did a zipping motion on her lips.

We continued to walk in silence as we neared the entrance. Before she could get in the car, I shouted "I'll give you the details about the set tomorrow."

"Yes, yes." She waved off-handedly as she slid into the car and the vehicle disappeared into the dark road.

I sighed heavily as I closed my eyes and covered them with my right hand. My body was exhausted from all the supervising of our booth, and my mind was tired with all the information that weren't connecting.

I went inside the house. My bed was badly calling to me.


End file.
